Misunderstanding
by ToastyToaster22
Summary: When Taichi came home for Christmas break he never expected to spend his first night on the couch because Takeru was sleeping in his bed. AKA: That time Taichi put his foot in his mouth and tried his best to make up for it. But nothing could really make this better. Rated for two boys' potty mouths and Taichi's mind being in the gutter.
1. Chapter 1

**What am I supposed to be writing again? Oh, that's right, chapter 7 of Skittles. Totally not an angsty twoshot that's completely unrelated. Oops. This has honestly been stuck in my head for a few weeks now and not having it written up was driving me nuts. I guess Kokuhaku messed me up more than I thought, because I am in the mood for nothing but hurt/comfort.**

 **Has anyone ever read a fic where Takeru yells at Taichi? I never have. But now I've written one. Haha.**

 **Hopefully I will have the second half up by the end of the week and then I can get back to Skittles.**

 **I don't own Digimon.**

* * *

"I'm home!" Nineteen year old Taichi Yagami called as he closed the door to his family's apartment. Oh man, it was good to be home for Christmas break. Three weeks free of exams, minimal amounts of coursework, and hopefully lots and lots of eggnog.

"Onii-san! You came home early!" A delighted voice cried out from the back bedroom, quickly followed by his little sister charging out to see him. Taichi scooped her up for a bone crushing hug and spun her around. She squealed and hung on tighter.

Her brother laughed and put her down, smiling widely. He took off his jacket and looked around the apartment.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" He asked, toeing off his winter boots. His eye caught the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. While they had decorated the apartment for the upcoming holidays, the tree remained bare. His chest felt warm as he realized his family had waited until he came home from university to decorate it. It had always been his favorite tradition. He couldn't wait to light it up.

"Dad's stuck at the office for a little while and Mom's in the shower," Hikari answered. She hoisted one of his smaller bags on her back and walked with him to their bedroom. "We weren't expecting you to be home for another few hours."

Taichi dumped his things in a pile next to the bed and flopped bonelessly back onto it. A content sigh escaped him and he grinned up at his little sister.

"Yeah, well, maybe I wanted to see you before you went out for the night. Shouldn't you be getting ready for date night? You've only got like, two hours," He teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

Hikari and Takeru had been going out for over six months now. Taichi had had a difficult time accepting that his baby sister was old enough to have a boyfriend, but he supposed if she was going to pick someone to go out with, Takeru was probably the best choice. He was as good a kid as they come and he had always treated Hiakri with nothing less than the utmost respect. Being friends for nearly eight years beforehand and generally being on good terms with the older brother didn't hurt either.

He had, of course, given the kid the obligatory big brother speech. The whole "hurt her and I hurt you" intimidation tactic. The little shit had saluted him. Taichi never really thought he would have to follow up on his threat, but he couldn't lose his reputation as best big brother and just not threaten Takeru because he knew him already.

So to say he was shocked when Hikari's smile flickered was an understatement.

It was only for a moment, and then Hikari's face was full of mock irritation.

"It doesn't take me _that_ long to get ready," She pouted.

Taichi frowned and sat up on is elbows.

"What happened?"

The chosen of light was startled, then fiddled with the hem of her sweater and looked at the floor.

"That are you talking about? Nothing happened."

Taichi's concern skyrocketed. He did his best to squash down the rising anger and stay as calm as possible. Yelling would only make Hikari clam up.

"Hikari, I love you, but you are a terrible liar," He stated bluntly.

"No really, I mean it onii-san," She said, sounding genuine yet still sad.

"Then what's the matter?"

She bit her lip and stared out the window in thought.

Taichi sat and waited for her to be ready to talk.

"Nothings actually happened... like no one event, its just-" She huffed and blew her bangs away from her face. "He's been, I don't know, weird? Like this whole week Takeru has been really distant. And he won't talk to me about it."

"He's been ignoring you?" Taichi asked to clarify.

"Not... really?" She answered, her voice thick. "He's just been quiet. But when I ask if he's okay he says he's fine, or he didn't sleep well, or he's tired from basketball. But its been all week. We were supposed to study together on Tuesday after school, but he said he was going to go home and take a nap instead."

Hikari was starting to tear up. Taichi gestured for her to come join him on the bed and he wrapped an arm around her. She leaned heavily on him and took comfort in the familiar smell and warmth. It was so good to have him home. She sighed.

"I don't know if I am blowing it all out of proportion and he _is_ just tired, or if he's lying to me. I don't want it to be either, you know? If its nothing then I am freaking out for no good reason and probably just annoying him with all my asking... And if he's lying I have no idea what's going on."

Taichi hummed lowly. That was definitely strange, for Takeru at least. He was always so cheery and generally up front about things with people, especially Hikari.

She slowly tensed against his side and he looked down at her curiously. Hikari was chewing the inside of her cheek, unsure if she should say more.

"Hikari?" He prompted.

She was quiet for a minute, looking more and more upset as time passed, until she finally popped.

"The weirdest thing is that he's been getting a lot of messages while we're at school. I'm not spying on him, I promise, but sometimes they come in at lunch while I'm sitting right next to him and you know...I see the number. But its not one that's programmed into his phone and I don't recognize it at all. I don't even recognize the area code."

Taichi's frown deepened.

"You don't think he's cheating on you, do you?" He asked as calmly and steadily as he could.

Hikari started at her hands in her lap and sniffled.

"No... Takeru wouldn't do that. Really, Taichi! I just... its so strange, he looks so serious when he gets a message. When I asked him about it on Wednesday he said they were from his mom. I don't want to think he's lying to me about that, but why would the number come up different?"

Taichi wished he had an answer for her. The whole thing definitely smelled funny, but what it meant was beyond him. He really didn't want to consider that Takeru was indeed talking to another girl, but then why lie? And if it really was just his mom, what on earth could be happening that he wouldn't tell his best friend and girlfriend about?

"Are you two still going out tonight?"

"Yeah," Hikari sat up and pushed her hair behind her ear. "We're supposed to go ice skating and get hot chocolate at that little shop near the rink," She blushed a little and gave her bother a wobbly smile. "Maybe he'll be in a better mood and I can ask him what's going on."

Taichi smiled back at her, though he was still suspicious.

"If he lies, call him out on it," He smirked. "And if he lies again, kick his ass."

* * *

The next two hours were busy. After warm reunions with his parents, Taichi helped his family trim the tree and prep dinner. Before they knew it Hikari was scrambling around the apartment trying to get ready for her date. She bustled past where Taichi sat on the couch, muttering about her scarf not being where she left it. He watched in amusement as she nearly fell over trying to shove her feet into her boots. Confusion overtook him as she threw her jacket on.

"Isn't Takeru coming to pick you up?"

Hikari shook her head and tugged on her hat.

"Nah, the skating rink is so much closer to his place. It didn't make sense for him to walk all the way over here and then all the way back again."

"But its dark out," Taichi protested, getting up from his spot. "Let me walk you over there. I don't like the idea of you walking around alone in the dark."

She snorted at him.

"Yeah, Takeru said the same thing. I had to fight him just to get him to meet me there. Believe it or not, I am not five years old."

"Well, I'm still going with you."

A mischievous glint in her eye was the only warning he got before she darted out the door.

"Only if you can catch me!"

"HEY!" Taichi shouted and surged after her, wrestling his boots and jacket on as he went. Oh jeeze, why was she so fast?

He caught up with her at the elevators, puffing and laughing.

"Oh darn, you made it," She said trying to snap her fingers, but her gloves thwarted her.

Taichi let out a breathless chuckle.

"Are you sure you didn't want me to come?" He asked slyly.

"Of course," She scoffed. "What makes you think otherwise?"

He reached past her and pressed the down button on the elevator.

"Well, you know, you won't get anywhere without doing that." Taichi smirked.

Hikari flushed and glared jokingly at the now glowing button.

Her retort was interrupted by the beeping of her phone. She fished it out of her jacket pocket and flipped it open, showing one text from Takeru.

Taichi wasn't trying to read over her shoulder, but he wasn't _not_ trying either. He hoped for Hikari's sake (and maybe for Takeru's) that it said something along the lines of 'Heading out in five' or 'Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up?'

He cringed when she clicked the message open.

' _I can't make it tonight.'_

The girl deflated, shoulders drooping.

Before Taichi could move to hug her, a second message announced itself.

' _Sorry.'_

Taichi was about to open his mouth and exclaim exactly where Takeru could shove his crappy apologies when his sister shushed him and pressed the call button next to her boyfriend's name. They waited somewhat impatiently until the ringing stopped and it went to voicemail. Hikari faltered, ending the call without saying anything. She stood there as the elevator arrived and dinged, an elderly gentleman walking out and heading the other way down the hallway. The chosen of light took a deep, steadying breath and called again, shocked when it went straight to voicemail without ringing this time. She had been trying so hard to stay calm and be strong, but that struck her deeply.

Turning her watery eyes on her brother, she whimpered,

"He turned his phone off, onii-san."

Taichi wrapped his arms around his little sister and did his best not to let his rage show. How dare he blow her off and then not even answer her calls! That little punk.

He rubbed her back as he walked with her towards their apartment.

* * *

By seven-fifteen Taichi had set Hikari up on the couch with her favorite movie, a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and a mug of hot chocolate with extra marshmallow on top. A bowl of popcorn was on the couch between them. Taichi had provided a full box of tissues for her, but Hikari was staying surprisingly dry-eyed. She sniffled occasionally, but so far had not let a tear fall. However she looked so dejected that Taichi was having a hard time looking at her.

He lasted about forty-five minutes into the movie before he couldn't stand the need to punch something anymore. He lurched to his feet and headed to the door.

"Onii-san, where are you going?" Hikari was peeking over the back of the couch, looking startled and wary.

"I'm just going to blow off some steam," He said shortly.

"You aren't going to Takeru's apartment, are you?"

Taichi let out a long breath.

"No," He said truthfully. "I'm just pissed and need to cool off. I'll be back in half an hour, okay? Keep my spot warm on the couch." He smiled at her, hoping it wasn't as much of a grimace as it felt.

She nodded and turned back to the movie.

Taichi zipped his jacket as high as it could go and walked out of the apartment. He had no specific destination in mind, but the air was crisp in his lungs and cleared his head a bit. He ended up walking the main streets, trying to concentrate on the little puffs of air that were fogging up in front of him and not on the miserable little sister waiting for him at home. The young man spent most of his time looking either at his feet or the clear, dark sky. His feet moved without his brain taking much consideration, just taking in the quietness of the night.

A dog nearby barking broke him out of his musing and brought him back to reality. Shit. How long had it been? He checked his phone and saw that it had been close to forty minutes. Hoping Hikari hadn't noticed the time, he shot her a quick text.

' _Wow, sorry. I lost track of time. Be back soon."_

Taichi looked around to get his bearings, man where did he even end up?

Huh. How on earth had he managed to end up only a block from the Takaishi apartment? He really had been truthful when he told Hikari he wasn't going there. That had not been his intention. While yes, he did want to pummel the little shit for making Hikari worry and look so sad... Hikari was a big girl. She could probably handle her boyfriend herself. That didn't stop Taichi from wanting to help though.

It was more curiosity that made him start walking in the opposite direction of home.

What could be going on in Takeru's head that would make him lie to Hikari all week and then blow her off on date night and offer absolutely no explanation? It was so out of character that he almost felt a pang of worry for the kid. It was quickly overridden by the mental image of Hikari trying not to cry and any sympathy he had was gone. Okay, so he wasn't going to burst in guns blazing, but maybe he could get some answers. And if it turned out that he was cheating on her or something equally as awful, well... Lets hope Yamato understood why his little brother had a black eye.

He held his anger at a steady simmer as he reached the Takaishi residence. Taichi reached out and firmly pressed the doorbell. He heard it ding inside the apartment, so he knew it worked, but no one came to answer the door. He had thought he heard voices inside, but they stopped as soon as he rang the doorbell. There had to be _someone_ home. Multiple someones, unless whoever it was was talking to themselves. Unlikely. Was Takeru actually cheating on Hikari? Did he have some girl in there right now? His blood started boiling.

The young man banged his fist on the door.

"Takeru, its Taichi, open up!"

Oh yeah, that was smart. He pretty much just announced that there was someone on the doorstep waiting to beat him up. Yes, that would definitely make him come to the door. Wow. Good move genius.

"I just want to talk," He called, grimacing.

Still no answer.

Damnit, it was cold out.

"C'mon Takeru, I'm freezing out here!"

He knocked again loudly. The little shit ignored Hikari's calls and now he was ignoring Taichi too? Bold move buddy. The chosen of courage threw caution to the wind and went to jiggle the doorknob.

He was almost shocked out of his anger when the knob turned easily.

"Takeru, I'm coming in!" He called as he slowly entered the apartment. It was oddly dark, the only light on was in the front hall. "Hello?"

There was no answer as Taichi moved into the apartment cautiously. It was light enough that he could see the outlines of the furniture, but not much else.

"Hey man, I'm turning the lights on," He warned, entering the kitchen and flicking on the light over the sink. It wasn't an overly bright light, but it was enough to illuminate the kitchen and most of the living area. Looking around the apartment he saw that the TV was on, but nothing was playing on it. The little "stop" square was blinking in the corner of the screen. Well, that probably explained the voices dying out so suddenly. What was the kid watching, porn? Why else turn it off when someone was at the door?

"Go away, Taichi."

The bushy haired young man jumped and stared at the back of the couch. He seriously thought he was alone out here, but sure enough, a tuft of blonde hair was sticking up past the top of the cushions.

"Jesus, Takeru," The anger came surging back. The kid skipped out on a date with his girlfriend to just sit around in the dark and do nothing? "What's your problem?"

Takeru didn't so much as move.

"You know, I'm a little sick of being ignored. Hikari has been worried about you all week, and now you blow her off? What the hell?"

Nothing.

"So what are you cheating on her? She said you've been getting a lot of secret texts lately."

That got a response, but it wasn't nearly what he expected.

"Go to Hell, Taichi," Takeru said lowly.

"What did you say?"

"I said go to Hell," He repeated fiercely, finally whipping to his feet and facing Taichi. The older boy was taken aback at the icy fury in Takeru's eyes. He looked so much like Yamato at that moment, taller than Taichi remembered. Oddly, the sight calmed him, probably the effect that look so often being followed by a mind clearing punch to the face.

"Fine, I'll go. But you've got to tell me one thing first," He negotiated. He would be thrown out, but he would go home with answers.

Takeru just stared at him, gripping one of the throw pillows like his life depended on it.

"What the heck is so important that you'd make Hikari cry?" He asked sternly.

The younger boy glared shakily at him before staring down at the floor instead. He seemed to shrink where he stood, losing the defiance he had emanated moments before. When he looked back up at his former leader, the frosty Yamato stare was gone and Taichi was forcibly reminded of the tiny seven year old crying for his deleted partner.

"My grandmother died, you idiot," He choked out, weakly throwing the pillow at Taichi. It landed with a limp thump at his feet.

Well fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well hello everyone! Sorry about the massive delay on this chapter, there's a laundry list of reasons why it didn't get up when it was supposed to. Hopefully this explains much of Takeru's behavior that was befuddling to Taichi and Hikari.**

 **This got so long that its now going to be a three-shot. So sorry that the fluff will be delayed a little bit, but there's a cute moment in here to tide you over. Chapter three will just be snuggles and happy feels.**

* * *

Takeru hadn't moved from his spot on the couch in hours. The awful numbness that had spread over him when his father called had yet to recede. He was aware to some degree that it had gotten dark in the apartment and he should probably turn on the lights, but he couldn't bring himself to get up. His eyes were glued to the screen in front of him, glazed over and hardly seeing what was on the TV. He'd been watching the same video over and over all week, but nothing changed. He felt no different tonight than he had last night. It confused him a bit. He had been so stressed all week that he had expected more of a reaction out of himself. But instead he just felt... dull. Numb.

He was tired. It had been such an agonizingly long week and he wanted nothing more than to just go to bed and have all of this be over when he woke up. Heavy eyelids drooped. Would it really be so terrible to just sleep here on the couch? It was dark, the TV was on pretty quietly, and the pillows were very comfortable.

The doorbell ringing sent his heart racing, but he still didn't move. He was frozen, eyes now open wide in the darkness.

Who on earth was here? Dad wasn't coming back to Odaiba until after the funeral. Mom hadn't forgotten her keys. Aniki probably hadn't even gotten Dad's message yet. Takeru's chest tightened a little. He wanted Yamato here, but it was incredibly unlikely that would happen.

He reached over quickly and hit a button on the remote.

Had Hikari come over to check on him? Tears momentarily prickled in the corners of his eyes. He totally wouldn't deserve that after how he had treated her this week. Takeru hoped she hadn't twisted his rude behavior to somehow be her own fault. He just hadn't... he hadn't felt capable of answering her questions truthfully without breaking down. Which was something the sixteen year old was definitely not comfortable doing at school. The lies had come out of his mouth before he could even process why he was lying to her in the first place.

Oh God, what if she was mad at him? He could completely understand if she was, but he just didn't think he could handle that right now.

Banging on the door startled Takeru again.

"Takeru, its Taichi, open up!"

Oh no. That was the probably the only thing that could be worse. A vengeful Taichi Yagami. Oh lord, Hikari must be really upset with him if she let Taichi come over to sort out the problem. Takeru's heart sank. He didn't like the idea of his former leader being disappointed in him.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came forth. What the hell would he say anyway? Maybe if he just stayed quiet Taichi would go away and think no one was home. He stared at the edge of the coffee table and wondered how he could still feel numb.

"I just want to talk," Taichi called through the door.

Well he certainly didn't sound like it.

"C'mon Takeru, I'm freezing out here!"

The blond boy was vaguely aware that he was cold as well, never having turned on the heat when he came home. He had simply walked in, sat down on the couch, and hadn't moved since.

The sound of the doorknob turning sent a rush of terror through him. The numbness faded a bit and suddenly Takeru wanted it back. He was irritated beyond belief at the intrusion. Couldn't the world just leave him alone for once? Taichi called something into the apartment but Takeru ignored him.

The muted sound of footsteps let him know that Taichi at least had the decency to take off his shoes when barging into other people's houses. He held his breath as the footsteps stopped in the kitchen.

"Hey man, I'm turning the lights on," Taichi called out.

Takeru tensed. He _so_ did not want to confront Taichi. He did not want to talk about his feelings. He did not want to apologize to anyone but Hikari for how he had acted. _He didn't want to go to the funeral tomorrow..._

The numbness was fading rapidly now, and Takeru pulled every ounce of patience he had left to mutter,

"Go away, Taichi."

"Jesus Takeru," The older boy sounded pissed again. "What's your problem?"

What was _his_ problem? His problem was that while he was waiting to hear in his grandmother was going to make it through each day he had to go to class and listen to his teachers blather on about god knows what. He got to force himself to eat his lunch even though he hadn't been hungry in days. He got to come home to an empty apartment and make dinner for his mother who wouldn't be home until after he had gone to bed. His problem was standing in the kitchen yelling at him when he was the one who wanted to scream. He really couldn't take it anymore. Taichi was talking again but all he could hear was his heart pounding in his ears.

"Go to Hell, Taichi," He ground out.

He was no longer numb. He was hot and he was shaking. His fists were clenched so tightly they hurt, but that was good because it took his attention away from how badly his chest ached.

"What did you say?" Taichi sounded dumbfounded.

Oh, he was beyond done. The irate boy was on his feet before he realized what was happening.

"I said go to Hell."

The look he received was nothing like what he expected. Of course, to be honest he expected to get punched.

Taichi instead looked oddly calm, standing in that odd space that was neither kitchen nor living room.

"Fine, I'll go. But you've got to tell me one thing first."

Takeru made no such promises.

"What the heck is so important that you'd make Hikari cry?" Taichi stared him down.

Takeru's heart stuttered. He'd made Hikari cry? If it hadn't already, his whole world felt like it was collapsing. He promised himself long ago that he would never be the cause of Hikari's tears.

He stared down at the floorboards as his own eyes flooded for the first time. The anger faded and an ocean of grief swept in in its wake.

Takeru took a deep breath, looked up at his friend, and gave up.

"My grandmother died, you idiot," He choked out.

He spun away from Taichi and collapsed back onto the couch. It had hurt to say it out loud. He tried his best to stifle his sobs, but holding them in made him feel like he was going to throw up. Everything was so unfair. He felt strangely self conscious of his tears, knowing that Taichi was there. But he had cried in front of Taichi so many times by now, what did it matter? Actually, maybe that was why he wanted so badly to stop.

Taichi sat down next to him on the couch quietly.

"I'm sorry."

He reached out and rested a hand on Takeru's shoulder. When the younger boy did not shrug it away, he wrapped his arm around Takeru and pulled him into his side the way he had done with Hikari hours before.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

The two of them stayed that way until Takeru's tears slowed and he sat back up slowly. He felt so drained, too tired to even cry anymore. His head was sore and his eyes ached. Taichi hadn't said a word in quite some time, and for once Takeru was glad of the silence. There was really nothing Taichi could tell him that would make him feel better. He just breathed and looked blearily around the room.

Taichi made a small noise that got his attention.

He was obviously trying to be as tactful as possible when he gently asked,

"Which grandmother passed away?"

Takeru took a deep, heavy breath.

"Dad's mom. The uh, one from Shimane. That place with no computers, you know?" He smiled brittlely up at Taichi and let it drop. Taichi only grimaced at the reference, but tried to be civil for Takeru's sake.

"I talked to her on the phone once. She was...very nice."

What might have been a chuckle escaped the blond boy.

"She hung up on you," The smile was a little stronger this time as he remembered the incident.

Taichi pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"Yes. Yes she did."

Takeru closed his eyes and laid his head back. His chest ached, how was it possible that he was never going to see her again?

"Hey, um..."

"Hmm?" He peeked his eyes open at Taichi, who suddenly seemed uncomfortable with the silence in the apartment.

"Were you... I mean, not to be rude, but where's your mom? Its past nine."

The younger boy sighed tiredly.

"She had to pick up another shift tonight so she could take tomorrow off and ah, take me to the funeral," Yup. That hurt to say too. "And Dad has been in Shimane since last Sunday."

Taichi was frowning at him, and he was pretty sure he knew what was coming next.

"Do you want me to call Yamato and have him come over?"

Takeru swallowed painfully. Oh man, he honestly wanted nothing more than that. Having Taichi here with him was actually nice, but he would leave, and he would be all alone. The thought made his breath hitch and his eyes water again. He _hated_ being home alone, which happened way too often in his opinion. Patamon wasn't even here. The little guy had spent too much time in the real world the past two weeks and needed some time to recharge and rest in the Digital World. It was just terrible timing.

"I'll call him," Taichi started going through his pockets for his cell phone.

"No! I'm fine, really," He hurriedly wiped at his eyes and lurched upwards to look at Taichi. "He probably doesn't even know yet anyway."

The older chosen's frown deepened at the shaky quality of his voice.

"Aniki's playing in the holiday concert at his university tonight. He's not supposed to be home until tomorrow... Dad called him earlier but he didn't answer," He fiddled with the hem of his school uniform shirt, slowly realizing he had not even changed when he got home from school.

Taichi was quiet a minute more, a slightly confused look taking over his face.

"Takeru, Hikari said you've been acting odd all week. How could Yamato not know yet?" He asked gently.

Takeru hesitated slightly. Okay, actually of all the people he could be telling this to, maybe Taichi wasn't the best choice. It felt rather... delicate.

"She's- Well, she had been sick for a few weeks now. Um, and last weekend it wasn't looking... She wasn't getting better and the doctors couldn't do anything else for her. Dad had us-" He swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. "Aniki and I went to say goodbye on Tuesday after school. But she passed away this afternoon. Dad called when I was on my way home," Takeru paused. "It was pneumonia."

Taichi stiffened noticeably, his hand twitching on Takeru's shoulder. He opened his mouth, but the younger boy interrupted him.

"That's why I didn't tell Hikari at first! I just didn't know how to tell- I mean we were at school and I didn't know if she would be upset or...I don't know, I just _couldn't_ tell her," How would he bring that up in a lunch table conversation with his girlfriend? _Hey, you know that thing that almost killed you when you were little? Well my grandmother has it now and she isn't going to make it._

He covered his face with his hands and slumped forward, elbows on his knees.

"Did I really make her cry?" He choked out.

Taichi, who for the most part had said very little since sitting down next to him, took a deep steadying breath and squared his shoulders.

"Takeru? Can you do something for me?" He sounded determined. His leader voice.

Takeru found himself nodding.

"I need you to go get your comfiest pajamas, and take a hot shower. Okay?"

Maybe it was the throbbing in his head that was making it hard to understand what Taichi had just said. He blinked at him dumbly, eyes sore and scratchy.

"Huh?"

Taichi placed a warm hand on his back and he almost shivered, suddenly quite aware of how cold he was.

"I want you to go take a hot shower. And then get into some clean, warm pajamas. Take as long as you want."

The chosen of courage stood and pulled him to his feet as well, giving him a gentle push towards his bedroom. Takeru took a few steps and faltered, looking back to Taichi and suddenly feeling almost embarrassingly lost without the older boy right next to him.

"I'll be here when you get out, Teeks."

Still confused, but slightly heartened by the statement, Takeru plodded off to his bedroom.

* * *

Taichi waited until he heard the shower running before releasing a long string of profanity under his breath. Okay, he wasn't really the best person to have a heart to heart with, but it was action time, and that was his forte.

He strode around the kitchen, looking in cupboards and checking the fridge. There was a seriously impressive lack of edible food in this house, and that was saying something, coming from him. Plan B then. Why he knew where the Take Out menus were in Takeru's apartment was beyond him. He pulled out his cell phone and was immediately bombarded with missed calls and texts from both Hikari and his mother. Taichi grimaced and ignored them, instead calling his favorite local restaurant and ordering a dinner for one, for delivery.

The young man then grabbed the little notepad next to the fridge and left a rather long note to Ms. Takaishi. He taped it to the middle of the kitchen table where she would hopefully see it. He would text her too, but not quite this second.

Taichi couldn't believe this kid was going to sit around all night by himself. The thought made him simultaneously furious and incredibly sad. He threw himself back onto the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table with perhaps more force than necessary. In doing so, he smacked the heel of one of his feet on the remote and the TV blinked back on in a burst of light. The volume was low enough that there was no way Takeru could have heard it in the shower, and that was good, because there was a good chance he would not want Taichi to be watching this.

Taichi stared as a young looking Nastuko Takaishi, or Ishida, actually, walked across the screen holding a box of candles. Taichi didn't recognize the room she was in, but from the amounts of trees that could be seen out the window, he could guess it wasn't anywhere in Odaiba. Excited laughter rang out and Natsuko giggled, shushing someone off screen. It only made whomever it was laugh louder.

" _Hey, quiet,"_ A deep voice came from nowhere, but Taichi recognized it as Hiroaki. He must have been the one taking the video.

The giggling stopped at once, and for a moment the scene was just Natsuko poking little rainbow birthday candles into a small but colorful cake.

Taichi felt almost sick. He really shouldn't be watching this. Yamato had said years ago that they didn't have any videos of the family before the divorce, and there were hardly any pictures left. So why wasn't he turning it off?

There was a light pattering of feet on the video and a childish voice whispered,

" _Daddy! Daddy, is it ready_?" The voice sounded pretty familiar, but Taichi hadn't heard that voice in so long he couldn't be sure it was who he thought it was.

When the camera tilted downward, Taichi was indeed wrong. It was not a young Takeru standing at his father's feet, but a seven or eight year old Yamato Ishida. His hair still stuck up in all the same places, but Taichi had a difficult time reconciling the college attending rock star that he knew with the bright eyed little boy that was practically bouncing in excitement.

" _Hold your horses kiddo, let your mom light the candles and then you can go get your brother_ ," Hiroaki whispered.

Yamato flashed a grin that showed a missing front tooth and nodded enthusiastically. He ran out of the frame for a moment until the shot followed him over to where he popped up next to his mother and watched her light the four candles now stuck in the cake. Once they were lit she whispered something to the little boy and he shot off out of the room.

Natsuko shook her head fondly after him, and turned towards the camera.

" _He's so excited, you'd think it was his birthday_ ," She muttered.

The camera shook with Hiroaki's deep chuckle.

" _Yeah, well I think that kid loves his brother more than air sometimes._ "

Taichi pretended not to see the uncomfortable, distant look on Natsuko's face before the shot quickly panned over to the door of the room.

Yamato skidded into the room in his socked feet, calling out behind him.

" _Look Teeks! Look what Mama made you!_ "

An elderly woman followed him into the room. She was short and walked stiffly on bad knees, but seemed to have no trouble at all holding the squirmy little boy on her hip.

" _Oh, no. Take-chan can't look yet! Mama said this was a surprise party,_ " The woman teased in a warbling voice. She held one of her small hands over Takeru's eyes. He was giggling like mad, hanging on drunkenly to her sweater with one hand, while the other was clapped tightly over his eyes as well.

"Yeah, you tell him obaa-chan! No peeking allowed!" Takeru cried happily.

The trio made their way to the little table where Yamato automatically threw himself to his knees so he was level with the cake. Natsuko moved to stand on Takeru's other side and placed a hand on his back.

" _Okay, ready?_ " She asked.

" _Yeah!_ " The little boy chirped.

" _Surprise_! _Happy Birthday_!" They all cried as his grandmother uncovered Takeru's eyes.

" _Cake_!" He screamed euphorically, throwing himself onto his grandmother in a stranglehold of a hug.

Taichi flipped off the TV and sat in silence for a moment. Guilt churned uncomfortably in his stomach as he slowly moved back to the kitchen. Okay, he hadn't meant to see that. It was an accident and knowing Takeru, he probably wouldn't even be upset that he had watched a few minutes of a birthday video.

Refocusing himself, he took a few breaths and shook his head. Takeru needed some support right now and he was the man for the job. Taichi wasn't entirely sure how long Takeru was going to take in the shower, but in case he got out soon, he needed to hustle.

Heading to the back of the apartment, he cautiously flipped the light on in Takeru's bedroom. He really didn't want to be caught in this phase of the operation. Yet when he looked around, he realized that what he needed was not there. Huffing an irritated breath, he did a quick search of the apartment and found his target next to the couch. Taichi grabbed the slightly worn backpack and carefully emptied it onto Takeru's desk. He refilled the bag with a change of clothes, trying to snoop around Takeru's room as little as possible, and put it near the front door.

Leaning his elbows heavily on the kitchen table, he let out a low groan and fished his phone back out of his pocket. As he did, it started vibrating madly, his home number flashing on the screen. Well, that was convenient.

"Mom?" He answered.

"Oh my gosh, Taichi, I'm so glad you're alright!" His mother's anxious voice echoed in the quiet apartment. "Where the Hell have you been? You told your sister you would be home almost two hours ago and you weren't answering your phone! What happened? Are you safe?"

Taichi rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm safe. I'm really sorry, Mom. There was kind of a... an emergency I guess. I'm fine, I promise!" He quickly got out before his mother could jump to any conclusions. "I'm sorry to do this, but can I ask for two favors? Its important."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute.

"Taichi, are you in trouble?" His mother asked suspiciously. Taichi withheld a groan.

"No, no Mom, its nothing like that. Its just... You know how Hikari said Takeru had been strange all week?"

"I know that he cancelled their date tonight and that's why you guys were having a movie night. Hikari told me a little bit. Why? Did you go to Takeru's house, Taichi? What's going on?"

Taichi sighed tiredly, running a hand over his face at his mother's tone.

"I did end up at his apartment, yes. But Mom, we didn't fight or anything, its not like that. He- Ugh, his grandmother passed away recently and he's having a hard time with it. Its a long story, but he's home alone and that's not okay, and I wanted to ask if he could stay at our house tonight. His mom can pick him up from our place tomorrow on the way to the funeral."

"Oh the poor thing. Of course he can come over. Do you want me to come pick you guys up?" She gushed.

Taichi let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Mom. That was going to be my second favor. He's in the shower right now and I didn't want him walking back with wet hair. Its freezing outside."

"Do you want me to head out now, honey? I can be there in ten minutes if you want." His mother offered.

Taichi scratched the back of his neck.

"Hmm. Well, I think if you head out in five or ten minutes that would be okay. I'm not sure how long he'll be in the shower."

"Okay, I'll be there. Do you need anything else?"

"Can I talk to Hikari?"

"Sure thing Taichi. I love you and I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay. Love you too," He mumbled, turning around and leaning his back against the kitchen counter.

There was a few moments of muffled voices, then a worried sounding Hikari was on the line.

"Onii-san, are you okay? Mom said she's going to pick you up, what happened?"

"I'm okay, Hikari. Calm down. I uh, you know how I said I wasn't going to Takeru's apartment?" He asked hesitantly.

"Onii-san, you did _not_ punch him," She said disbelievingly.

"I absolutely did not punch anyone, Hikari," he stated firmly. "Listen, we talked and it wasn't anything we were thinking, and he definitely was not cheating on you. Do you remember his grandmother from Shimane?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

Taichi blew out a long breath, glancing back towards the bathroom.

"She was really sick and was in the hospital most of the week. She passed this afternoon. Takeru can talk to you about it if he wants."

"Oh... Is he okay?" Hikari asked, sounding teary already.

"Not really. I'm having Mom pick us up and he's staying with us tonight. He can have my bed. There's nobody else around to stay with him. Can you do something for him?"

He heard a small sniffle, but when his sister spoke again it was with determination.

"Anything, onii-san."

Taichi felt himself smiling.

"Can you make some more hot chocolate?"

* * *

 **I imagine Yamato was a rather serious little boy, but its a surprise birthday party and he loves the shit out of Takeru.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well then. I am so sorry about the delay and I won't bore you with the excuses and billion reasons why this took so long to finish. But I WILL tell you that I have a new story idea that has been rattling around and taking up space in my head. It will be Takeru and Hikari in preschool and is mostly nothing but adorableness.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoy this disgustingly fluffy, sappy, sticky ending. I was going to have more grandma talk between Hikari and Takeru, but it was making the fluffy stuff sadder. I'm all done with that.**

 **DNofSunshine, if you are reading this, please do your best to update Hell Over Me. I am going to explode soon.**

* * *

Takeru walked out of the bathroom, taking a deep breath of the cooler air. He felt a little better, he supposed, warmer at least. He had been so cold that when the hot water first washed over him, he had been overcome with a sick, shivery feeling that had taken a while to fade. Most of his time had been spent with his mind wandering. Had he even washed his hair…? Or had he just stood there the whole time? It didn't matter much.

Death wasn't all dramatic like it was in the movies. His last words to his grandmother had not been out of spite, or anger. He would not be haunted by their last interaction. In fact, when he and Aniki visited earlier in the week she had been quite lucid. She had even been able to tell them apart, which had been becoming more and more uncommon as she aged. He had tried his best to squash down the hope that she would start recovering. They were there to say goodbye.

The boy felt his mouth twitch into a strained smile as he stared at his feet in the hallway. That day she had patted the space next to her on the bed and asked him to read to her. There was no book by her bedside, so Takeru had excused himself to her small library room to find one. He had been tempted to grab the book of children's fairy tales that she often read to him before bed on nights they would stay over, but as he went to pick up the dusty book, another caught his eye. He had recognized it instantly, though he had never known exactly what it was. On nights when he missed his mama too much or couldn't sleep after a scary dream, he would sneak into her room. Though it was hardly sneaking when she sat reading in bed, her bedside lamp casting warm shadows on the walls. She never said a word when he curled up close to her hip, but rested a wrinkled hand on his rumpled hair and continued to read. Over the years he never saw any other book by her bedside. How it had ended up in the library was beyond him.

The smile she had given him when he began to read confirmed that he had made the right choice. Even though she coughed weakly throughout-

"Takeru?" A voice nearby cut through his thoughts.

"Huh?" The boy jerked his head up, startled.

Taichi was looking awfully concerned, standing at the end of the hall. It wasn't that Takeru had really expected the older boy to leave while he was showering, Taichi _had_ promised to stay, but he was finding it hard to wrap his head around the fact that it was Taichi here in his apartment at all. Hikari had often lamented how little she got to see her brother now that he was away at university. Up till now, Takeru had not noticed how much he had missed the chosen of courage's presence as well. Having Taichi around made him feel just a little bit braver.

"How was the shower?" Taichi asked as Takeru made his way towards the kitchen.

"It was nice… I feel a little better, thanks Taichi," The blond boy went to sit at the table when he noticed a bag of take-out food sitting in the middle. Warm, spicy smells were wafting around the kitchen. Takeru frowned. It smelled delicious, but from the way his stomach clenched uneasily, he wasn't sure he wanted anything that heavy to eat. He cleared his throat quietly. "Um… did you order dinner?"

Taichi was bustling around behind him, doing goodness knows what. He paused for a moment and Takeru could hear the smirk in his voice when he answered.

"I got food, but it's not for you."

There was a teasing quality to his words, but they were lost on Takeru. He was too emotionally strung out to appreciate any attempted humor.

"Oh, okay…" He turned his gaze down to his hands on the table when he felt a small prickle in his eyes. Nope. No. No more crying. He was all done for the night. Taking a deep breath, he managed to push back the returning ache in his chest.

"Your dinner is at my house."

"…What?" Takeru lifted his head and squinted in confusion at his guest. Taichi was at the door, pulling his winter jacket back on.

"What, did you think I was just going to leave you here? You're coming home with me; my mom is already on her way to pick us up. Come get your stuff on. I think your girlfriend is making you something to eat," Taichi said with an odd smile.

Takeru was feeling very overwhelmed again, but this time by the kindness that was being thrust upon him. He had a wonderful moment of excitement, before it was quickly extinguished by one thought.

"I… I can't, Taichi. I have to go to Shimane early tomorrow morning, remember?"

"I know," He replied matter-of-factly. "Your mom is going to pick you up on the way there in the morning. My house is on the way, so it isn't a big deal. We already talked out the details."

That gave Takeru pause.

"You talked to my mom?"

"Yup. Now come on."

Takeru still didn't move. A huge part of him wanted to leap out of the chair, and drive far, far away from this big empty apartment that was making his feel so, so small. A strangely stubborn little bit of him was complaining that he was sixteen and didn't need to be babied.

"I don't even have a bag packed," He protested.

Taichi shook his head and pointed to a backpack, _his backpack,_ on the floor near his feet.

"I took care of that too. You're all set."

His phone beeped in his pocket and he pulled it out.

"Come on, Takeru. My mom just pulled in."

"But I need to make Mom… dinner…" He slowly looked at the take-out sitting innocently to his left. "Oh… Taichi…You didn't have to do that! Let me pay you for it, please."

The young man shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Not a chance."

* * *

The car ride to the Yagami's apartment was quiet. He had caught sight of the clock as he was leaving his apartment and had been stunned that it was past ten. The chosen of hope hadn't realized that he had spent so long in the shower. The soft collar of his winter coat rubbed gently on his cheek as he leaned his head on the window glass. He was grateful he had taken Taichi's advice of wearing his coziest clothes. His feet were snuggled by the thickest, fluffiest socks he owned, and he had on a pair of fleece pajama pants that were at least a size too big. His mom had bought them for aniki's birthday last month, but had forgotten how long her oldest son's legs were. She had instantly offered to exchange them, but aniki had caught him staring longingly at them and simply tossed them his way, claiming now he didn't need to get him anything for Christmas.

Takeru was thankful that the car was dark and no one could see his embarrassed flush as he realized he was wearing one of aniki's sweatshirts as well. It was one of the old "Teenaged Wolves" prints that had come out right before the band changed their name. There had been so many extras that Yamato had practically been asking people to take them. Takeru had offered to distribute them as well, and ended up taking three home that night. He just pretended that he washed it frequently instead of telling the truth that he rotated through them periodically. Though Hikari may have started to suspect something. He had spilled paint from a project on the sleeve of one of them and now it appeared that the stain disappeared and reappeared at random.

The blond boy paused suddenly, and slowly reached up to feel the hat on his head. Oh man. No way. He was wearing a "Knife of Day" hat. No wonder Taichi had looked at him so strangely when they were leaving. Hikari was right. He was his brother's biggest groupie.

He let out a huff and pulled his face as far down into his jacket collar as possible. The soft noise attracted his friend's attention.

"You okay back there?" Taichi asked, turning around slightly in his seat to peek at him.

"Yup," He said, perhaps a bit too quickly to be believable.

Taichi didn't respond, but his eyebrows furrowed in visible concern.

Takeru tried to force the pink out of his cheeks and gave a self-deprecating sigh.

"I'm a walking advertisement."

Taichi sniggered, turning back around to face front.

"No shit."

Mrs. Yagami reached over and lightly smacked at her son.

"Watch your mouth."

* * *

Hikari paced around the apartment anxiously. She couldn't believe that only an hour or so ago she had actually been angry with Takeru. His behavior had been strange, but he had been _hurting_ and she had been angry. How horrible of her to stand by and do nothing but be suspicious. She should have been helping him, she should have known somehow…

The girl stopped in front of the window and looked out, pursing her lips. Takeru wouldn't want her beating herself up like that. They had been working on how much pressure and guilt she piled on herself for a while now. Progress had been made, but old habits were hard to shake. But she couldn't make progress without practicing…

Sitting down and taking a few deep breaths, she began thinking through her situation the way they had been practicing. _'Takeru did not tell me what was going on, and I cannot read his mind. It's okay to be upset, but it's not okay to be mean to myself. I am aware of the real problem now, and will do everything I can to help. Beating myself up over the past would not help anyone_.' Repeating those thoughts a few times through, she felt her chest loosen a little.

Hikari smiled and began whispering the words out loud to herself quietly. This was the first time she had been able to feel any significant relief without someone there to coach her along. A warm flicker of pride flared in her chest and chased away most of the remaining negativity. She was still allowed to feel sad that the situation happened, but she would not let herself dwell anymore. The girl stood with purpose and strode to the kitchen, giving the pot on the stove a final stir.

As soon as she had poured out a few steaming mugs, the door behind her opened and quiet voices floated in. She waited just long enough for the trio to remove their boots before emerging from the kitchen. Takeru had just a moment to take in her presence before she threw her arms around him and hugged tight. Hikari's eyes were squeezed shut, but she felt her onii-san pat Takeru on the back and leave the entrance of the apartment. Her mother followed a moment later, expressing to Takeru that he was to make himself comfortable. He uttered a small thank you in return. His arms wrapped around her back and she felt Takeru rest his head on her shoulder. Her boyfriend sniffed and she turned her head to press a kiss on his cheek.

After a few moments Takeru pulled back and Hikari got a good look at him. His eyes were tired and glassy, and just the smallest bit puffy. The hair sticking out from under his hat was only partially dried, and she knew if she didn't get that thing off him in the next few minutes he was going to have the most awful hat hair imaginable. He looked nothing short of exhausted, and somehow, she still found herself thinking he was cute.

"I'm really sorry, Hikari," He started, his voice a bit thick. "I was an idiot this week, and I should never have lied to you. You have every right to be upset with me, okay? Please don't think any of this was your fault."

Hikari smiled up at him, but her voice was quite serious.

"It's okay, Takeru. I… I was upset…with you, but I'm not anymore. You had something really horrible to deal with and I didn't know what was going on. Taichi told me a little bit and I'm mostly just sorry I couldn't help you with this. But I want to help now, if you want me to."

Takeru stared at her, his eyes welling up as she spoke. When she finished, he croaked out something he had never said to her before.

"I love you."

Hikari's eyes widened, shock running through her system. It was quickly replaced by a warm, happy feeling that made her confident enough to reply softly.

"I love you too, Takeru."

He lunged forward and crushed her in another hug.

Hikari giggled a little, unable to help it. Yet she managed to pull herself together.

"I'm sorry about your grandmother," She whispered. She felt him take a big breath around her.

"Yeah, me too," He let go and wiped his eyes hurriedly. "She was awesome."

"Well," The chosen of light took Takeru's hand. "I have some hot chocolate ready, so how about you head over to the couch and I will meet you there in a sec."

Takeru sent her a wobbly grin and gave her hand a quick squeeze before heading off towards the living room.

Hikari gave herself a shake and padded in her socks towards the stove. The girl watched her boyfriend slowly make his way over to the couch to join her brother. Taichi clicked the play button on the remote and the old American 70's film "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" began to play with Japanese subtitles. Though they all had to take the language in school, English was none of their strong suits. Hikari added an extra scoop of marshmallow to one of the mugs and went to join the boys for the movie.

Takeru curled up next to her as soon as she had gotten settled. Hikari pulled him close and took the snuggly opportunity to get rid of his hat and run her fingers through his hair before it became utterly atrocious. He _was_ supposed to look nice tomorrow, she reasoned.

A few minutes into the movie her mom came over and offered Takeru a bowl of ramen. The boy let out a long "umm…" while discreetly looking to Hikari for help. She tried so hard not to laugh at the fear in his eyes.

"I made it myself last night, 'Keru. Is it okay if its leftovers?" She helped him out.

Takeru slumped against her in thanks.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Yagami. Ramen would be nice."

"Okay, dear. I'll warm some up for you." The older woman disappeared into the kitchen.

Taichi chuckled at the other end of the couch.

"Man, you looked like she offered you poison."

Takeru gave him a tired scowl.

"You say that like you haven't been eating her cooking your whole life..."

A voice called out from behind them.

"Taichi, honey, are you hungry at all? I can make you something before I go to bed if you want!"

Taichi blanched, his eyes widening in terror.

"NothanksMomI'mgood!" He called back.

Hikari and Takeru laughed heartily at him, and he spent the next fifteen minutes with his smart mouth firmly shut.

The three of them watched the holiday classic and sipped their drinks, enjoying the quiet warmth of the apartment. Close to the end of the film Hikari noticed Takeru looking blearily around the apartment with an expression she could not quite place.

"What's wrong?" She murmured.

Takeru turned and blinked drowsily at her. It made her want to kiss him.

"I… Can we…I mean- I still want to be together when we're…Umm," He trailed off, looking unsure of how to say what he meant.

"You can ask me anything, Takeru. I mean it," She said quietly, peeking towards her brother who was nodding off a few feet away.

Takeru took a minute to collect himself.

"Can we decorate our place like this when we grow up more?" He asked shyly.

Hikari felt a loving smile take over her face. She leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of his head. Takeru had been slowly slipping down towards her lap throughout the movie and was now using her leg as a pillow.

"Of course we can, 'Keru," She carded her fingers gently through his hair. Looking at his face, he still appeared exhausted, but not nearly as defeated as he had when he arrived. "How are you feeling?"

Takeru closed his eyes and let out a long breath, smiling the smallest amount.

"Not perfect… But lucky. I'm so, so lucky, Hikari."

* * *

 **Yay! My first completed story under my new penname! I am so happy with it, despite the embarrassing amount of fluff and angst.**

 **A few headcanons:**

 **1\. Takeru is Yamato's biggest fan. I mean, that's pretty much canon anyway.**

 **2\. Takeru would not let Hikari continue her self deprecating ways, especially if they ended up together. Even in 02 he wanted her to be able to rely on people besides Taichi. I think it would then progress to believing in herself as well. Of course he is wonderful and looks up different ways to help her do that. Verbal affirmations to talk your way through different situations works slowly, but quite well. Be consistent.**

 **I hope you liked it. Chapter 7 of Skittles is under construction but i promise I am still working on it.**


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